


Rose of the Sea

by Lici_Rose



Category: Antisepticeye - Fandom, Darkiplier - Fandom, jacksepticeye - Fandom, markiplier - Fandom
Genre: Antisepticeye x reader, Based in 1925, But this isn't just shameless shipping, F/M, Jacksepticeye x reader, Murder Mystery, Ok i have a weakness for reverse harems, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Reverse Harem, This has plot, darkiplier x reader - Freeform, markiplier x reader
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-07
Packaged: 2019-03-20 15:44:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 4
Words: 13,153
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13720845
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lici_Rose/pseuds/Lici_Rose
Summary: You are Edith Rose Baker, a twenty two year old woman living in the Roaring Twenties who has just won tickets to a cruise to the Bahamas. This ship is owned by a set of brothers that are rumored to be bootleggers who cruise for the sake of parties and drinking at sea. Secretly hoping that this rumor is true, you eagerly accept the cruise, despite the warnings. You meet the handsome four owners, where love and lust begin to develop. But these feelings shatter as a storm hits, the ship becomes hopelessly lost, and half of the supplies go missing overnight. And to make things worse, slowly, one by one, so do the passengers. Who is behind all this? Who can you trust? You soon become motivated enough to take action, and try to discover the truth. Could the murderer be closer than you think? Could you potentially share a bed with a killer?Inspired by a dream I had, hope you enjoy!





	1. All Aboard!

**Author's Note:**

> Well, waking up this morning, I scribbled down this idea, basic plot, did some research on 20's slang, and even sketched out my original characters. I've been working this chapter all day, and absolutely love this idea! I plan on trying my hardest to stay consistent, but no promises, unfortunately. 
> 
> Hopefully you'll enjoy this as much as I've had writing it!

The sun is as high as your hope as you explore the boat dock of New York, searching for the “Anne Rose Marie” ship. This would be your chance to unwind for a whole month and drink, dance, and hopefully meet someone decent. You’d recently had a string of terrible boyfriends, and was looking to forget about them for awhile. Yet the journey would be as interesting as the destination, since you heard a rumor that there would be bootleggers aboard, therefore booze aboard. This would also be your time seeing the Bahamas, and you had heard from your parents that it was a beautiful place. You took comfort that there were no icebergs in the Bahamas, the tragic Titanic coming to mind. Despite this, you looked forward to the sand and sea, imagining yourself bathing in the sun, jazz pouring out of a club nearby. Your best friend, Lorraine whimpered, intimidated by the large ships. She was intimidated by a lot of things, yet you loved her anyway. You had won the tickets for this cruise in a raffle, and you couldn’t think of anyone better to bring. 

 

“Do you see it, Rose?” Lorraine whined, “What if it left without us!”

 

“Oh yeah, it left five minutes early,” sarcasm dripping from your voice. Lorraine narrowed her eyes, pouting her lip. You only laughed. 

 

“Oh look, there it is!” Lorraine pointed to a grand ship, looking bright and new. You figured it must have been built recently. Your thoughts were confirmed when you read in the brochure that it was built in 1921, only four years ago.

Standing near the loading board were four young men, shaking the hands of the people boarding. You fished through your bag for the tickets as you got in line. The line was short, since you were later than most of the people boarding, so you found yourself at the front sooner that you thought you would. As you approached the four men, you were able to realize how handsome and young they were. You expected rich old men to be running a ship like this.

 

“Hello ladies, my name is Mark Fischbach and this is my twin brother, Dark. We’re the owners of the ship, and hope you have a good time.” Mark wore a brown suit with a navy bow tie and a boater hat, while his brother wore a suit as black as their hair. They shared the same eye color as well, yet Mark’s eyes were warm brown, holding an unspeakable kindness, while Dark’s brown eyes held a coldness that challenged you to make him smile. 

 

You shook his hand, and snorted at the name of his brother, “‘Dark?’ Like the night? I might call him Moonlight, that sounds better.” 

 

Dark scoffed, “I’d rather you call me Dark.” He shook your hand, and bowed slightly, stiffly. Seems like he’s not a fan of nicknames. All the more better to give him one. 

 

“Whatever you say, Moonlight.” Dark’s eye twitched when you winked at him, and you felt his eyes on your back as you approached the other set of brothers. 

 

“Hi there, I’m Sean McLoughlin, and this is my brother, Anti. We’re the co-owners of the ship, and manage the supplies.” Sean’s bubbly nature was welcoming, his bright eyes and thick accent making him seem like he’d be an easy friend to make. He wore a thick wool grey suit with a dark green tie, his newsboy hat making him seem younger, but you figured he wasn’t much older than yourself. Yet his brother seemed… Even more “friendly.”

 

“Hello there, and what might be your name, sweet lass?” Anti kissed your hand, winking up at you. His eyes were green, unlike his brother’s blue eyes. He wasn’t wearing a suit jacket, he had his jacket thrown onto his shoulder. He wore a white shirt, a maroon tie and matching suspenders with tan trousers. If you hadn’t been experienced with dating, you would have been a blushing mess. But you simply smiled and introduced yourself. 

 

“I’m Edith Rose Baker, but I’d rather you called me Rose. And this is my friend, Lorraine Sawyer.” Dark simply scoffed again as you quoted him. Damn, you thought that would get a smile. Lorraine was still chatting with Mark, and shyly waved when she heard her name. Anti seemed surprised, but this faded quickly. Seems like he enjoyed getting a rise out of women, but you smiled knowing that he wouldn’t succeed with you. Yet Lorraine nearly fainted when he kissed her hand. She always had a weak heart for handsome men, but most found her looks to be plain. You knew she’d find someone someday, though. 

 

“Is that a violin case?” Sean asked, pointing to the case you held.

 

“Yeah, it was my Dad’s, he played it his whole life. Me? It helps with hangovers.” You laughed, along with Mark, Sean, and Anti. Dark’s mouth twitched, but nothing else. 

At last, it was time to board the ship.

 

“One of the workers will lead you to your room. Let us know if you need any assistance.” Mark called, waving as you boarded the ship. 

 

“Also, there will be a dance at six-thirty, you wouldn’t want to miss it!” Sean added, smiling. 

 

You and Lorraine waved as you handed off your luggage to the young man, who blushed as Lorraine told him thanks. He proceeded to lead you to one of the best rooms you had ever stayed in, and you wondered if he’d sent you to the wrong place. There was a large, plush bed in the middle of the room, surrounded by plush couches and a desk for writing, a soft rug on the floor. You even had your own private bathroom! You opened up the wardrobe to find that it was nailed to the wall. In fact, all of the furniture was nailed to the ground or wall. Smart.

 

“Oh my, this must be one of the suites! How on Earth did you win such amazing tickets?” Lorraine exclaimed, in awe. She had been on a few cruises with her family, but none as nice as this.

You made a motion of zipping your lips, causing your friend to laugh. Turns out, it was just dumb luck.

 

After the boat had started moving, and you were able to get used to the slow rocking of the ship, you and Lorraine started getting ready for the dance. You were excited to start the fun. The dress you chose to bring seemed appropriate for the dance, the giant floral pattern complimenting your skin. You style your short hair quickly, since there was no taming the waves. You applied rouge and lipstick, using your cake mascara to darken your lashes. You admired yourself in the mirror as Lorraine got ready, excited to finally be dancing. 

There was a small window in the room, and you looked out to see that the sun was starting to set, which meant that you and Lorraine spent most of the day inside your room, chatting and unpacking. You had been eager to roam the ship, but Lorraine had kept you busy. You had even shown her how to dance, something you had shown her plenty of times, but she somehow forgot every time. That girl had two left feet.

 

“Gosh, I don’t know, Rose. I’m so nervous! What if someone asks me to dance? What if someone doesn’t?” She was practically shaking. 

 

“You are nineteen years old! You can do this! All you need is a little bit of liquid courage.” You pulled a small flask out from your purse, something you carried around everywhere. While you enjoyed the buzz, you always tried not to overdo it. Tried. 

 

Lorraine didn’t even protest, she took a good swig and got up onto her feet. “W-well, if no one asks me to dance, then… Then _I’ll _ask someone to dance! Let’s ankle!”__

__

__“Atta girl!” You clapped, laughing._ _

__

__You and Lorraine made your way to the “ballroom”, which was the huge deck. As you approached, your breath was taken away as you estimated twenty to thirty people dancing to jazz pouring from a radio as the sun set in the background, bringing to life the water it seemed to touch. You already could see stars sparkling in the sky. It was a cloudless night, which made the view all the better. You immediately sought out someone to dance with, leaving Lorraine behind. The boat was moving slow enough that you didn’t feel disoriented as you moved about. You danced with several strangers before running into Sean, chatting as you bounced to the music on the sidelines._ _

__

__“So, how did you end up working with Mark and Dark?” You asked, genuinely curious._ _

__

__“I thought you were calling him ‘Moonlight’? I might start calling him that nickname too, since he hates it so much!” He chuckled, his blue eyes sparkling with mischief, “And, we started working with them because they needed someone to provide the booze, and I’m the supply. Well, Anti mostly. He’s the brains of that operation.”_ _

__

__“What does that make you?” You raised an eyebrow, smiling._ _

__

__“The brawn, of course!” He flexed, and you laughed as he invited you to squeeze his arm._ _

__

__“‘Ello there, miss, care for a dance?” A mock british accent called you away from your thoughts after Sean has excused himself. You turned to see Anti holding out his hand. You had been itching to get dancing again, and eagerly agreed. He wasn’t bad, but wasn't as good as you. You definitely had more practice. You even noticed Lorraine on the dance floor, doing the Charleston with the young man who had taken your bags earlier that day. She had a huge smile on your face, and you couldn’t help the swell of pride in your heart as you saw her. Anti offered to buy you drinks, which you took. Who turns down free drinks? He continued to flirt, and you cleverly dodged all his advances, which only egged him on. He seemed to enjoy your teasing._ _

__Once you were done dancing, you breathlessly left Anti, which turned to the next girl, whose blush was your only hint that he had asked her to dance as well. You shrugged, leaning onto the railing and gazing out to the sea, looking at the stars. You tried to spot the limited constellations you knew, but couldn’t find many. You stopped at the bar for the third time that night, slamming down two shots. You returned to your spot on the sidelines, content to watch the dancers and the stars for the moment, when you noticed Mark approaching with two glasses of wine._ _

__

__“Hey there, you look like you need one of these.” Mark handed you one of the glasses. You swirl the wine, inhaling it’s sweet scent. This was good quality, better than the cheap wine you used to sneak from your parents when you were younger._ _

__

__You hummed, “I could always use more, but this’ll be my last glass. I actually want to do something else tomorrow than nurse a hangover.”_ _

__

__Mark laughed, “Of course,” you turned back to the railing, leaning onto it, Mark joining you, “Ah, you can see Cassiopeia tonight.”_ _

__

__“Hm? Where?” You looked around the sky, not knowing exactly what you were looking for._ _

__

__“It’s hard to describe, since it looks like a zig-zag.” He tried pointing, but you couldn’t seem to find it._ _

__

__“They all look like zig-zags!” You laughed. Mark grabbed your waist, pulling you close to him, his cheek nearly pressed against yours, pointing to the constellation. You glanced at his face, which held an admirable passion for stars and the beyond, then to the constellation that he was trying to show you. “Uh, show me some more.”_ _

__

__Mark showed you several more constellations before you felt like you should head to your room. You knew that the more you stayed, the more you’d be tempted to kiss him. But you didn’t want to sleep with the first man you met, since you wanted to wait until you knew the men better. You didn’t want to seem like a quiff._ _

__You wondered where Dark was, since you hadn’t forgotten your goal. Making him smile. You wandered around the party, but he wasn’t there. Disappointed, you made your way back to your room, deciding halfway through the walk that you’d wander the ship. Most of the hallways were empty and quiet, the metal walls illuminated by lanterns. There was a kitchen, some more entertaining rooms for smaller get-togethers, all empty, and a good portion of the ship was blocked off by a chain-link fence, locked with a padlock, needing a key. You peered into the darkness of the hallway ahead, your curious thoughts interrupted by the distant sound of a piano._ _

__You followed the sound, recognizing the tune of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. One of the entertainment rooms had a cracked door, while the others had closed doors, the room lit up with light and sound. You peered inside to see Dark at the piano, his eyes closed in concentration. The face that had seemed so cold and stern, now was passionate and open. He let his emotion flow from his fingertips to the ivory keys, his pain and spirit ringing out with the notes. He transitioned to the third movement flawlessly, and you stared in awe from his skill. You snuck into the room, leaning against the wall, closing your eyes to enjoy the piece. When he finished, you started clapping, and he jumped so bad that he slammed the keys._ _

__“What an appropriate song for you, Moonlight.” You were laughing between your words, tears threatening to fall._ _

__

__“M-miss Edith! Don’t _do_ that!” He held his hand to his chest, running his fingers through his hair, attempting to compose himself. “What are you doing here?”_ _

__

__You only laughed harder, clutching your stomach. “Oh my Lord, Moonlight, you nearly jumped to the ceiling!”_ _

__

__“Only because I didn’t expect someone to be spying on me!” You could almost see a blush on his cheeks._ _

__

__“Well, sorry for spooking you, but you play really well! Mind if I join you?” You approached the piano._ _

__

__Surprisingly, he moved over on the bench to give you room to sit. “You play?” He raised an eyebrow._ _

__

__“Well, only simple songs. And a few tunes of my own.” You tinkered on the keys, playing a solemn and melancholy tune with one hand. You seemed to be drawn to the melancholy melodies._ _

__

__He answered your tune on the right side, the higher pitched side of the piano, while you sat and played the lower notes. “Ah, I’ve had lots of time to practice. It’s a good outlet.” You found that you liked his voice, low as the melodies you were playing._ _

__

__You found that you were exchanging melodies, a conversation of words and notes. “I feel that way about my violin. Maybe we should play together sometime.” You both played a powerful mixture of your own melodies, finishing the song on a powerful chord._ _

__

__“Well, judging by your piano skills, it seems like it would be a good time. I’d be honored.” You turned to Dark, and was surprised to see a crooked smile on his face._ _

__

__You beamed, “Sounds like a date, Moonlight.”_ _

__

__He rolled his eyes, “It’s Dark, Edith.”_ _

__

__“I’ll start calling you Dark once you start calling me Rose,” you got up to leave the room, when Dark offered to escort you to your room. You both walked in comfortable silence, and you felt that a warmth had come between you two. Maybe he wasn’t as stern and cold as he appeared. “Goodnight, Moonlight.”_ _

__

__You carefully shut the door behind you, overhearing a quiet mutter, nearly a whisper._ _

__“Goodnight... Rose.”_ _

__

__. . ._ _

__

___“Are you serious? All of you? Every one of **us**?”_ _ _

___ _

___“Why am I not surprised. We all just have bad luck with women.”_ _ _

___ _

___“But never with the same girl!”_ _ _

___ _

___“Why are we even arguing? She can make her own choices.”_ _ _

___ _

___“I refuse to compete with you all. We can’t be rivals and business partners all at once.”_ _ _

___ _

___“I guess you’re giving her up, then.”_ _ _

___ _

___“Anti stop--”_ _ _

___ _

___“That’s not what I’m saying, you fucking--”_ _ _

___ _

___“That’s enough! Don’t make this a big deal.”_ _ _

___ _

___“You only say that because you’re confident that she likes you best. I saw the way you pulled her to you. ‘Oh let me help you look at the staaaaaaars!’”_ _ _

___ _

___“Quit mocking me like a child. What about your dancing?”_ _ _

___ _

___“Ugh, this could go all night. She isn’t some prize. I’m going to bed.”_ _ _

___ _

___“Me too. This is out of our control. Let her decide.” ____ _


	2. Top of the Morning

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not really taking the chapter titles too seriously. I can't think of clever names for whatever reason. Eh, maybe they'll get better as the story goes on. 
> 
> Anyway, hello again! Welcome back, or if you're here for the first time, leave a comment or kudos! Thanks! <3

Waking up the next morning, you noticed Lorraine was humming as she went about the room, still in her nightgown, she compared two dresses in the mirror, holding them up to her body. You smiled knowingly. 

“The red one is better,” you laughed when she jumped, caught off guard, “did you have fun last night? Was he a good necker?” 

 

Lorraine blushed furiously, “W-we only kissed! And um… Yes.” 

 

You squealed, patting the bed next to you, “Tell me all about it!”

 

Lorraine explained that the boy she danced with last night was aboard with his two uncles, who weren’t at the party. She described sweet nothings that were whispered the entire night, and how nervous yet thrilled she felt. You smiled, glad that your friend had a good time. 

“His name is Charles, oh, what a wonderful name!” She sighed, flopping back onto the bed.

 

“An absolute dream!” You pinched her cheeks, “Now, don’t you go having too much fun too quickly, you don’t want to give up the goods while they’re still ripening.”

 

“Oh, stop it! You sound like my mom!” You both giggled. Then a knock came to the door. 

 

Coming up to the door, you swung it open, not considering what you had been wearing, “Who issss itttt?” You sang. You were in a silk nightgown and robe, your hair tastefully messy.

It was Dark, who took in your whole appearance with a face that can be only described as uncomfortable, “M-miss Edith? Why would you answer the door in only your sleepwear?” He cleared his throat, avoiding eye contact. 

 

“Uh, because I thought you were the guy bringing me breakfast, Moonlight.” You teased.

 

“Well, speaking of which--” Dark was interrupted by Sean walking up behind him, calling out a greeting.

 

“Mornin’ Rose! Have you eaten yet?” Dark glared at him, the heat of the gaze deflecting from Sean’s bubbly nature.

 

“Well I haven’t, but--” You started to answer. 

 

Mark seemed to be casually walking by, noticing the scene, “Oh, hey Rose! Didn’t see you there! I was wondering if you’d--”

 

Anti maneuvered his way past the other men, not even acknowledging them, “You up for some eats? I’m starved.” He shoved his hands in his pockets casually. 

 

The three men could only stare with distaste as you agreed, telling Anti that you just needed to change, and you’d join him. You could barely hear the hushed argument from the door as you changed into a different dress from last night.

 

Lorraine seemed to have stars in her eyes, “Oh my Lord, it’s just like Hearts of Fraying Ribbon! They were all trying to ask you to breakfast! At the same time!”

 

“What on Earth are you talking about, Lorraine?” You raised an eyebrow as you applied mascara in the mirror. 

 

“I let you borrow Hearts of Fraying Ribbons ages ago, did you not even look at it? Ah, nevermind. Well, the main character has multiple men absolutely in love with her! She goes on this mental journey where she must figure out who she is, and what she wants in life. All three men are devilishly handsome and all extremely skilled at the art of seduction. And in the end there’s a stand off to the death where she has to choose who lives or dies--”

 

You stopped her before she could continue. You knew she loved that book, and could talk about it until the end of time, “I’ll tell you now that there’s no way that they’re all goofy for me. That kind of thing only happens in the pictures or romance novels. Or the weird ones that people self-publish.” 

 

“We’ll see. I’m personally rooting for the funny one.” You brushed off her comments, rolling your eyes with a smile on your face. 

 

You left the room to find that Anti had been waiting patiently outside the door. When his green eyes met yours, you felt a spark in your stomach you hadn’t felt in a long time. Why did he have to be so handsome?

He held out his arm, “So lass, how was the party last night?”

 

“It was swell, thanks. Tonight I don’t plan on holding back as much as I did, I plan on being up all night!” 

 

“Oooh, promise?” He gave you a look that gave a hint of what he was hoping you’d be doing all night.

 

“I’ll be up all night dancing, you dewdropper.” You rolled your eyes.

 

“On my lap, I hope.” He winked. This behaviour from men usually left you disgusted and you would have normally fled by now if this were any other man. But something was oddly charming about his flirting. Maybe it was the way his eyes made you feel. You simply laughed and bumped his hip with yours. He caught the hint and turned the conversation to a more important topic; Breakfast.

Soon enough you had a plate piled high with pancakes, chatting with Anti while he ate eggs and bacon, with a side of whiskey.

“Isn’t it a bit early for drinks?” You asked, while you sipped on coffee.

 

“Never early enough for the hair of the dog.” He lifted his glass in a mock-toast. You raised your mug.

 

“Amen to that.” You both laughed. 

 

As you glanced around the dining room, you spotted Lorraine sitting with Charles, giggling. There were two other men sitting at the table, Charles’ uncles, you assumed. They seemed pretty rich, with gold necklaces and rings. There were also plenty of couples sitting around the room, all either kissing or eating in contentment. The soft classical music in the background gave a wonderful, almost romantic atmosphere. As your eyes explored the room, you weren’t able to find Anti’s brother, or Dark and Mark. You figured they must be busy somehow. 

After finishing your meal, you found that you were content to sit with Anti and talk about any and everything. Turns out, if he wasn’t flirting, he could actually keep a conversation really well. You must have sat there with an empty plate for an hour and a half before realizing that while he knew so much about you, you hardly knew anything about him. You started asking trivial questions. 

“What’s your favorite color?” You asked, leaning on your propped arm. 

 

He scratched the hairs on his chin in thought, “It’s between red or green, I’d say.”

 

“You must really like Christmas, then.” You laughed. 

 

You asked another random question, “Have you been to the Circus?” 

 

“Eh, not really. Never really have the time to.” He shrugged.

 

“You’d make a fine clown. Can you juggle?” You wanted to stick your tongue out at him, like a child.

 

A fire seemed to ignite in his eyes, smiling a melting-hot-smile, “I can.”

 

“Anti, I don’t believe you!” By exaggerating your doubt, you were challenging him. 

 

“Come to my room, I’ll show ‘ya.” He stood, holding out his arm again. You actually really wanted to see him try.

 

He led you to a hallway neighboring yours, into a room similar to yours. Except clothes were strewn about, and there was a bunk bed instead of a large king size bed like your room. It suddenly dawned on you that you may have won tickets meant for a romantic couple, yet you had brought your best friend. 

“Do you have a bunkmate?” You asked, gesturing to the bunk bed. 

 

“Only if she’s willing.” He laughed when you playfully shoved him. “I share this room with Sean.”

 

“Ah, that makes sense. Is he a good roommate?”

 

“For the most part. He snores like crazy, though.” He mimicked a loud horn, and you nearly doubled over in laughter from the exaggeration. This was the only similarity between the brothers; Their humor. 

 

You sat at the desk chair as Anti found random items around the room, and effortlessly juggled them all. You could only stare for a moment, his triumphant, mocking smile causing that spark to zap your senses once more. “I can do knives as well, but that can be for another time.” He winked. You almost blushed. Almost. 

He began to gloat some more when Sean came bursting through the door, a worried look on his face. “Anti, you need to come with me right away, it’s an emergency.” The look in his eyes caused Anti’s whole demeanor to switch in an instant. The man who you were just laughing with was gone for the moment, replaced with a man of serious concern. 

“What’s happened?” Anti asked. Sean glanced from Anti, to you. 

 

“I’d rather you just come and see. I’m sorry, Rose. Just... Stay here for a moment, we’ll be right back.”

 

Worry twisted in your stomach as Anti and Sean left the room. You remained on the bed, your eyes roaming throughout the room. Immediately bored, you looked at the desk behind you, your eyes roaming around the various, scattered papers. There were notes, some in English, and some written in a handwriting so sloppy that it may as well been a different language. Most of the papers scattered about were drawings. Drawings of the boat, the city and countryside, and even some old house that you didn’t recognize. You picked up one of the drawings to observe it closer, amazed by the skill, and noticed a drawing beneath it. 

It was a drawing of you. 

It held a sketchy style to it, yet with the detail and quality of a photo. You were almost scared to touch the graphite, but it seemed to pop out of the page. It was a portrait only from your shoulders up, you were smiling with your gaze directed to the side, which made you look… Beautiful. There was a signature on the side, and you began to read it, but suddenly felt ashamed. Heat prickles on the back of your neck from embarrassment. These were intimate drawings, you suddenly knew, and felt as if you shouldn’t be looking at them. 

You begin to scramble to place the papers where they once were, when you felt the coldness of metal beneath on of the papers, where you found a bronze button. Immediately curious, you gave no second thought of consequence when you pressed it, hearing a click coming from the desk drawer. You carefully open it, worried that the shift of wood-on-wood would be too loud. There was only a lone skeleton key inside. Holding it in your palm, your eyes scanned the room, landing on a good size trunk next to the bed, the glint of the metal key matching the glint in your eye. You had to know. 

You approached the trunk, too distracted by the curiosity to even remember the possibility of being caught. You turned the key, suddenly hesitant when you heard the click as it unlocked. Exhaling, you opened the trunk, deciding that you’d only peek, and return the key immediately after. Your eyes widened and your heart began to race as your mind tried to comprehend that what it was seeing was real. There were two Remington 870 model guns, four Tommy guns, and four pistols. You choked on your scream, your mind racing with questions, fear paralyzing you. You hadn’t seen guns like this since…

“Sorry for the wait Rose--” Anti paused in the doorway. “What the hell are you doing?” He growled. If voices could drip blood, his voice would have done so then. 

 

“Oh my God, Anti, it’s not what it looks like!” You backed away from the trunk, holding up your hands.

 

Anti crossed the room with a terrifying speed, the door slamming behind him. He grabbed your arm forcefully, “How did you find this? Who sent you?” He hissed through his teeth. His expression scared you, his teeth forming a snarl, like a threatened animal. It held a malice that you had never seen in a man before. At least, not this close. 

“N-no! God, no! Anti, I-I was just looking at the drawings!” You tried to twist your arm away, but he only grabbed tighter. Tears pricked at your eyes. You’d never been so afraid. Why were you so afraid? You needed to act!

 

“Liar! Who sent you?” He was nearly screaming. 

 

You audibly sobbed, “Anti, you’re hurting me!” 

 

Something changed in his eyes, there seemed to be a flash of blue, and suddenly, he released your arm. You collapsed to the floor, you’d nearly fainted from the emotional toil. You wanted to shove past him and run, but where would you go? You’re floating on the Atlantic Ocean!

“You’re not lying, are you?” Anti breathed.

 

You shook your head, cradling your arm. A bruise was already forming. “Why the fuck do you have guns on a cruise?” You demanded.

 

He didn’t answer you. Anti reached for you, kneeling. You flinched away, sucking in breath from your sore arm. His face twisted with immense regret, it almost seemed as painful as your arm felt. You stood up, deciding that you needed to leave, you didn’t feel safe. Did Sean know there were guns locked away in his room? Of course he knew, but did Mark and Dark know? Is it a safety precaution? If so, why so many? You shook your head, trying to shake off these thoughts. Your brain felt fuzzy and confused, so, you left without a word. You expected Anti to stop you, to interrogate you more. But he let you leave. You cursed your impulses all the way back to your room, wanting to talk to Lorraine about it. 

 

Thankfully, she wasn’t there. Perhaps it was best that you didn’t tell her that there were possible mobsters on the ship. Mobsters were the only kind of people with guns like that. But maybe you’d be putting her in danger with that kind of information. You decided to keep it to yourself. After all, the other brothers may not even be involved. Maybe Anti had good intentions, maybe he’s a hunter. What kind of hunter needs a semi-automatic gun? That just makes it too easy. 

You put some ice on your arm, the redness slowly fading away into a dull purple. It wasn’t deep, or big, but you ignored it, putting on gloves that ended above your elbow. You needed a drink. 

You made your way towards the bar, needing to take your mind off of everything. You turned down a few hallways before realizing that you had taken a wrong turn. Damn, it was easy to get lost in this godforsaken ship. You leaned against the wall, taking a moment to breathe, to calm down. You heard hushed voices from the room next to you, and immediately recognized Sean’s voice. There was no denying that thick Irish accent. 

“--Half of it. Just gone! I started to take inventory this morning, and it’s all gone! Vanished! Who could have done this?”

 

“God, what’s missing?” You could hear the concern in Mark’s voice. 

 

“Food mostly, the liquor was barely touched. There are a few ammunitions missing, but I’m not worried about that. You know how Anti loves his guns.” Half of the food is gone? What the hell? Anti’s guns?

 

“We’ll have to postpone the trip and head to shore immediately for supplies. We’ll barely be able to make it to Florida with half of our supplies gone.” Dark intervened. 

 

“Of course, I’ll let the captain know.” You felt relief, but soon realized that you needed to move! You quickly shot away in the opposite direction, ducking behind a corner. You didn’t want to be caught twice in one day. Why did you always have to pry and put your nose where it doesn’t belong? It’s as if you never thought at all. Your mind ran on impulse alone, the voice of reason always remaining silent when you needed it most. 

 

As you heard Sean slip away, you breathed a sigh of relief. So, looks like this trip would be a little longer that expected, since the ship had to dock for supplies. Hopefully sooner than later. You wondered who on this ship would steal supplies. Where did they put it? In their room? You giggled, thinking of a lucky couple surrounded by food and liquor, having a private party of their own. Surely that wasn’t the case, or they would have been found out by now. Shame settled in your stomach as you thought of Anti. You had assumed the worst of him, but he was just a gun collector. You set out to apologize, relief flooding into your mind once again. This trip was full of hope once again. 

But then the storm hit. And the man that was staying in the room across from yours didn’t show up for lunch. Or dinner. And neither did his wife.


	3. Dancing in the Rain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the lack of updates, I've been struggling with writer's block! But at last, I'm FREEEE! Enjoy this chapter <3

The storm had hit out of nowhere. The skies had become black in a matter of hours, the threat of thunder bellowing in the distance. The boat rocked more than usual in the storm, but the captain announced that the boat would be fine, that he’s seen storms worse than this. You stared out your window, watching as the black waves churned in the sea. The water almost looked as if it were breathing as the waved pushed up and down. The sea was alive and it seemed ready to swallow this ship if it gets the chance. Lorraine was afraid, but you found it thrilling. You wanted to dance in the heavy rain, but they had put away the radio soon after it had started raining, which left you disappointed. At least the ceiling wasn’t leaking, like you overheard some other passengers complaining about. 

“I’m starved, Lorraine, do you want to go grab some lunch?” You asked, stomach rumbling.

“Um, actually, I was going to get lunch with Charles. Do you mind?” She seemed worried that she had offended you somehow. But you weren’t the kind to be offended easily, and it rolled off your back easily.

“That’s fine. Oh, you rascal. Have you been giving him cash? Or do you tell him ‘check’ until I leave?” You teased, her face turning so red that even her ears had become a tint of pink.

“Roooose!” She covered her face. 

“Oh, Lorraine, you get flustered too easily!” You laughed.

 

You both walked to the dining room, where it wasn’t as busy as it usually was. Lots of passengers must be getting room service. You didn’t want to spend your whole trip in your room, so room service sounded boring. Lorraine gave you a hug before heading over to Charles, who was waiting in a corner booth, where you suspected he wanted to neck Lorraine in peace. You ordered food, unashamed to eat alone. Or drink alone. You also ordered a whiskey. You were daydreaming when you noticed Anti across the room, leaning against a wall and scanning the room, a solemn look on his face. He seemed as deep in thought as you had been just a moment ago. You waved, beckoning him as he scanned your side of the room. An expression you could only describe as regretful crossed his face for a moment, soon replaced by his serious expression that he had. 

“Hey there, Anti. I wanted to apologize for the other day…” You sighed.

“Me too, Rose.” He ran his fingers through his hair, not meeting your eyes. 

“I shouldn’t have went through your things. It was an invasion of privacy. And to mess with your gun collection… I feel awful.”

He finally made eye contact, raising an eyebrow, “Yeah, my gun collection. That’s what it is. A lot of those I got from my Pa, and I take them everywhere to, uh, keep him close.” Before you could say anything more, he continued, “I’m sorry for havin’ kittens over it. And for hurting you. How’s yer arm?” 

“It’s fine. Doesn’t even hurt!” You lied. 

“I’m glad.” He ordered a few more drinks, giving you a sly, crooked smile.

You two weren’t even aware of the storm anymore, since you both were drinking and laughing at any little thing. Soon, you were both bent, and you told him what you were thinking about earlier that day.

“You know what I’ve always wanted to do? Dance in the rain. That sounds like a swell time.” You hiccuped. 

You noticed the familiar mischievous glint in his eye from the day you met him as he grabbed your hand, pulling you up from your chair, “Then let’s go.”

 

You both laughed all the way down the hallway as you ran your way up to the deck, hand in hand. The rain was falling hard, the storm not coming to a close anytime soon. You giggled as you stepped out of your shoes, the air dense with humidity and salty rain. You twirled in the rain, immediately becoming soaked. You laughed as you noticed Anti hesitate, staring as the storm beyond. At least that’s what you thought, before realizing he was looking at you. You pulled him out of his stupor, literally, grabbing his hands and pulling him out into the rain. You both stumbled about drunkenly, laughing hysterically as a wave was big enough to crash onto the deck, taking one of your shoes, you watched as it fell out to sea. You were cursing at the ocean as a joke when another wave came, nearly knocking you over the railing. You nearly screamed when you felt strong hands at your waist, pulling you from the railing. You spun around, crashing into Anti. You were dizzy for a moment, but as this feeling passed, you noticed that Anti was still holding you close to his body. 

He felt so warm in comparison to the cold ocean waters that had soaked you, and he was much taller than you, you realized. Your gaze fell on his chest, where your hands rested. His white dress shirt clung to his skin, becoming transparent in certain spots. Your gaze continued to travel upwards, falling at last to his blazing green eyes. His stare burned, sending shivers to your core, your breath catching. You were familiar with this expression with men, yet his held much more passion than any other man had given you. Before you could even speak, his lips were on yours, and you melted from his warmth, opening to his advances. Unaware of the cold rain, you could only feel the warmth of his lips as he kneaded your back, his hands travelling up and down your body. He smelled of the sea and the sweet smell of cigars, giving him a smoky and masculine musk that you couldn’t get enough of. Most men doused themselves in cologne, but this was no ordinary man, you felt. When his tongue barely grazed your lips, you gasped, yearning for more. He groaned as you wrapped your arms around him, grabbing onto his shirt, and eagerly sucked on his lip. He cursed under his breath, uttering your name as you bit his bottom lip. You only whispered his name in encouragement as his tongue wrestled with yours, fighting for dominance. You were both soon lost in touches and moans from the intense kiss. Minutes passed by slowly, seconds stretching by as they never had before, and you relished in every touch, every moment, and every moan. It was just a kiss, but it was so much more than that. It felt more like a confession. Like a promise.

 

Anti froze as you heard someone clear their throat behind him, “I would come back later, but this is urgent, Anti.” It was Dark.

You come back to reality, noticing that at some point Anti had sat you onto a counter against the wall, pinning one of your hands onto the wall, his body nestled in between your legs, his other hand in your hair. Yet somehow, several buttons were undone on your dress, as well as some buttons on his shirt. 

Anti stepped away, running his hands through his hair, smoothing it back. You quickly buttoned your dress back up as he regarded Dark, “What is it?” He hissed, clearly annoyed. 

You hopped off the table, stumbling. Your knees weren’t weak from the whiskey. You cleared your throat nervously, hoping Dark hadn't seen too much.

Dark spoke, “I’ve been looking for you everywhere, and here you are fraternizing yet again with a passenger. Ugh, never mind,” he pinched the bridge of his nose, “The captain needs to see us, he has bad news. Miss Rose ought to come too. It’s too dangerous for her to walk around unaccompanied.”

You scoffed, “I think I can manage to walk to my room by myself.” You tried to push past Dark, but he caught your arm. 

“Just come on. You’ll want to hear this too.” You sighed impatiently, and followed him out into the hallway. 

 

Dark walked in front, leading, as Anti trailed behind, his hands stuck into his trouser pockets. You couldn’t believe it; He was grumpy because he had been interrupted. He was pouring like a child. You almost found it humorous until he snapped out if it, realizing his position. You had to smack away his wandering hands several times before finally making it to where the captain drove the ship. Mark and Sean were already there when you arrived, arguing with the Captain, an old and wide man with kind eyes. 

“There’s no way that we could be lost, you know the damn route like the back of your hand!” Mark seemed livid with stress. 

“You said yourself that the storm wasn’t even that severe.” Sean interjected. 

“We’re here.” Dark announced, bringing attention to the three of you. Mark gave you a confused look, whereas Sean didn’t even seem to notice your soaked state. You hadn't even realized that you were walking around with only one shoe, too drunk to care.

“W-we’re lost??” You squeaked. No way. No way in hell. 

“N-no ma’am, we’re simply way off course, and I’m not quite sure where we are.” The captain tried to calm you down, not wanting to see an upset woman. He didn’t seem quite sure why you were there in the first place, and you were confused as well. Maybe the set of brothers trusted you to not spread this news around and scare the passengers. At least the passengers you saw on a daily basis. Most never came out of their room, and you figured they weren’t the party type. 

“That sounds like we’re lost to me.” Anti growled, standing over the captain in an intimidating manner. 

“Anti, back off. This man has worked with us for years. I trust that he’ll get us back on course soon enough.” Mark stood between them, the captain seemed relieved.

“Of course, Master Mark. I just need a few days to figure this out, l-leave it to me.” You gave a small smile to the captain, who seemed like a good man. 

As the men continued talking, you looked around, fascinated with all the buttons and switches. You noticed a small picture of a young girl and an old woman stuck into a wooden frame. “Oh, who’s this?” You asked, curious. 

“Ah, that’s my wife and daughter, Sarah and Elise. They’re the reason for everything I do, I’d do anything for them.” He had a fond, yet solemn look on his face. You wondered if he was homesick. 

You placed a hand on his shoulder, “You’ll see them soon,” giving him a reassuring smile. He smiled back.

“Thank you, child, I know I will.” He avoided your eyes. He asked the set of brothers to leave him be for now while he worked, reassuring them once again. 

“Wow, Rose, I haven’t seen him smile in so long, he’s been unusually gloomy this entire voyage.” Sean walked alongside you, the others chatting behind him as you all left the captain. 

“He’s probably homesick, I’m sure he needs a vacation from vacation voyages.” You both laughed. 

Mark and Sean left to take inventory once again, leaving you with Anti and Dark. “So, what are you two up to for the rest of the day?” 

Anti snaked an arm around you, “Well, I was hoping to maybe get some more drinks and finish what I started.” His voice was hot in your ear. 

You laughed, escaping from his grasp, “Ha! Sorry, bank’s closed. I need a hot shower, pronto. I’ll catch a cold without it.” 

He wiggled his eyebrows, “Oh? Then perhaps I’ll join you.”

Dark groaned, “Enough, Anti, Miss Rose obviously doesn’t want to suffer another moment of your presence.”

Anti barked out a laugh, boasting, “That’s not what it seemed like earlier, before you cut in. She was all over me.” He had a huge, teasing smile. He loved getting a rise out of everyone, it seemed. When he noticed Dark’s face become darker with anger, he continued, “Oh? What’s this? Is Dark getting jealous?”

You noticed Dark’s fist clenching, ready for a strike, and figured it was time to intervene. You were just stunned at the possibility that Dark might be jealous. “Stop it! Both of you, you’re acting like children!”

They both looked at you, taking deep breaths before regaining their composure. Dark adjusted his tie as Anti cracked his knuckles, cursing under their breath profanities about each other. Anti stalked away moments later, grumbling that he needed a drink, and Dark escorted you to your room. 

“Why do you insist on walking me back? How is it dangerous to walk alone?” You asked, rolling your eyes. 

“Well, I can’t help but feel… Unsettled by the absence of passengers. It’s atypical.” He fell silent after that, and you walked the rest of the way to your room in silence. 

When you finally reached the door, Dark leaned in, his breath tickling your ear, “I would watch my back if I were you. Strange things are happening on this ship, and I wouldn’t be surprised if a shadow that wasn’t yours was following behind you on this ship. Be careful, Miss Rose.” He spun around, starting to walk away, “If you need anything, you know where to find me.” You nodded your thanks, and gently closed the door. 

“Oh, my Lord. Did he just kiss you??” Lorraine squealed from behind you. She was on the bed, reading a book. Far enough away as not to hear anything he just muttered. “And why are you all wet?”

“Well, it’s raining. So I danced in it.” You shrugged, dodging her question.

“Alright, DON’T tell me. I’ve been waiting for ages, where have you been? Besides dancing.” 

“Well, I was with the owners. They uh- let me meet the captain.”

Lorraine gushed, claiming she always wanted to drive a boat, or honk the horn. “How come you didn’t invite me?” 

“Because I figured you were too busy necking with Charles.” You gave her a sly smile, which only grew as you noticed a fierce blush crawl across her cheeks.

“Oh, I wish you would stop that teasing of yours!” She covered her face with her book, confirming your claim.

“On the topic of Charles, is he nice?” You sat on the bed next to her.

“The more I know him, the harder I fall.” She nearly had hearts in her eyes. “Oh! There’s going to be another dance tomorrow I heard, and do you think I could borrow those red pair of heels that you brought? I think it would really make that night the bee’s knees!”

“Ooooooohhh, is he going to invite you to his room, do you think?”

“M-maybe, we’ve talked about it…” She averted her gaze, lost in thought. Ah, young love, how you took it for granted long ago. 

“Sure, as long as you’re careful with them, they’re my favorite.” Lorraine squealed again, hugging you tightly, before returning to her book. 

It was then that you decided to take that shower you had been craving. You stripped from your clothing, and turned on the water, waiting for it to heat up. Except it didn’t right away. Or a minute later. Or two minutes later. You groaned, it had been working that morning! 

“Uggghhh just my luck!” You groaned, slipping into your silk robe and grabbing a towel, storming out of the room. You planned to complain to Dark, hoping he could get someone to fix it. 

You pounded on his door, still annoyed, “Yes, who is it- M-Miss Rose? Again with the indecency!” He stumbled over his words at your state. Ah, you had forgotten how short the robe was. All it would take was one wrong move… 

“Midnight, my shower is busted. Can I borrow yours? All I want it a hot shower,” you whined. 

He stood there for a moment, swallowing before slightly nodding. “S-sure, Miss Rose. Come in.” 

 

You thanked him as you entered, relieved. Inside you found that his room had a theme of black, grey and red. The furniture, carpet and bed sheets all shared that color scheme, and you couldn’t help but find it fitting for his character. In the corner of the room was an upright piano, not as grand as the one he had been playing the other night, but still polished and well taken care of, as far as you could tell. 

He led you to his bathroom, which was twice the size of yours back home. Hell, it was far larger than the one in your room! You marvelled at the bronze installations and plush towels. He shut the door behind you, and you heard him playing the piano moments later, no doubt to reassure you that he was distracted. You began your shower, sighing in bliss as the warm water fell onto your body as you scrubbed the salt off your skin, as well as the heat of the kiss you had. It wasn’t that long ago, but it lingered in your mind longer than you’d like. No way were you going to fall as quickly for a man as you had in the past. That only led to heartbreak, you found. You wanted a man to be patient, and not rush into things as they usually had.

You began absentmindedly humming when you recognized a tune that Dark was playing in the distance. It was a sad song that had caught your ear not too long ago, a record you had bought immediately, since you liked the artist so much. A song of unrequited love filled your ears, as you unabashedly belted out the lyrics, lost in the song for a moment. As you exited the shower, twirling your hair into the towel, and slipping on your robe once more. You walked out of the room to find that Dark had stopped playing, and seemed stunned. 

“Do you perform professionally?” He asked casually, clearing his throat. 

“I don’t. I work at a bank as a receptionist. Music is more of a hobby for me,” you laughed half heartedly, “plus, I’m no good for show business.” 

“And why’s that? I’d think you would do well.” He tinkered on the keys, switching between several tunes.

“Because I’ve tried, and I don’t have “the look” of course.” You laughed again, no humor in your voice. You had been turned down in the past because you weren’t “pretty enough” to the manager of that club. You hadn’t applied at any other club, ending up at the bank eventually. 

Dark scoffed, “What “look”? You’ve got the talent. And you’re stunning, so I cannot understand how anyone could turn you down-” He choked on his words as he realized what he said. You blushed. You actually blushed. Coming from Dark, these words felt different. 

“T-thank you, Dark.” You touched your cheek, you could feel the blood rushing to them, and cursed yourself for blushing like a schoolgirl over a simple compliment. Usually you were more composed. 

Dark smiled warmly, uncharacteristically, “My offer still stands about playing together. Your violin and my piano would sound beautiful. Hell, just your voice alone would be.” 

You giggled, becoming less razzled, “Oh, stop it.” 

He crossed the threshold between the two of you, holding your chin, brushing his thumb across your cheek. “My, how red is fitting on you. I’d love to see you in a red dress just for me.” He licked his lips. This was unlike him. He hadn’t really flirted with you before.

“T-this is unexpected.” You stammered out, glancing at his lips. 

“Perhaps it’s the sight of you clad in merely a robe in my chambers that brings out this side of me.” Oh, no. It’s those bedroom eyes again. The same eyes you saw in Anti just earlier that day. You don’t think you could handle two steamy kisses in one day, so you tried to step around him to the door, stammering out an excuse. 

“Ah, trying to escape, my dear? I like a good chase, but I’ll leave you be. For now. But I’ll warn you. I’m a different man when I have my sights set on something I want. I won’t be the gentleman you’ve come to know.”

You teased, “‘Gentleman?’ Oh Midnight, you rascal. I wouldn’t call being rude very gentleman-like.”

He chuckled darkly, his rumble sending a pleasurable shiver down your body, “Miss Rose, you’re jabs won’t work on me know, I’ve come to expect it,” He came close to you before you could open the door, “Yet despite this, you’ve still been deliciously unpredictable. You’ll be mine soon enough. Have a good evening, Rose.” 

You shut the door quickly, sighing, letting your guard down for a moment. Damn, he was much more attractive in that state. You could handle him much more when he was a rude, yet endearing asshole. You wondered how he’d take charge in the bedroom, and shivered again at that thought. You shook your head, not wanting to tangle your thoughts with the handsome men you had met throughout this voyage. It just kept getting better and better, each man showing more and more interest. Why you? Maybe they just saw something in you that you couldn’t. 

You spent the rest of the day in your room, talking with Lorraine and practicing your violin, playing a song of unrequited love, which you knew, deep down, you weren’t ready to return yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you enjoyed! Please, don't hesitate to leave a comment or kudos, I'd appreciate the support!
> 
> I know I enjoyed writing it ;)


	4. A Kiss with a Sprinkle of Angst

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Horray I'm not dead! I'm so sorry for the long delay, but I'm happy to be back and I'll be working hard to finish this!

You clutched the bow of your violin tightly, which served as the tether between you and your music, which you held onto as if your life depended on it. Your notes rang out into the night as you lost yourself in a sonata that you thought you had forgotten. The sad, sweet notes began to pick up pace, until they were a nearly one note, one singular melody that wrung out from your very soul. Your father would claim that you had come up with the most beautiful melodies he had ever heard, yet you never could remember the whole piece. You were always left with the broken pieces of songs you had learned over the years that he could recognize. He’d help you rebuild the melody, scribbling them into his music book, something you held dear. But when he died, you lost the melodies that you had created, as well as the motivation to seek out a career in music. 

 

What awakened you from this dream was the sound of Lorraine clapping eagerly, “Wow, you haven’t played like that in years! Oh, it’s always a joy to hear you play that magic violin.”

You scoffed, “Yeah, I remember you used to call it a magic violin when we were kids. It’s only a regular violin. I hold the magic.” You winked, feeling confident now that you had your motivation back. You had had the equivalent of Writer’s Block with music for the past few years, unable to play your Father’s violin as you used to. You loved writing your own music, but they were rather simple, sad melodies that other musicians weren’t interested in. So you kept it a hobby. You didn’t realize how much you missed the feeling of the violin in your grasp, speaking through it like a microphone. 

“Well, I was only grabbing a few things before meeting up with Charles. Tonight’s the night!” She hugged herself on the bed, “I’m so nervous. It’ll be my first time…” 

You laughed, endeared by your friend’s innocence, “It doesn’t hurt if it’s with someone you love.”

“R-really, are you sure? I’ve heard awful things…” She wrung her hands nervously, her mind drifting to awful rumors, whispered amongst women. 

“From who? Cousin Julie? She’s terrible at picking men. All of them are rough, burly brutes who don’t know how to treat a lady.” You held a terrible grudge, since she was the one to set you up with the ex you were trying to run away from, the whole reason you applied for the raffle that won you tickets to the cruise in the first place. You shuddered, not wanting to think of him.

“Y-you’re right. She is awful at picking men. Remember John?” She laughed. 

“Or Sam?”

“Oh! What about James?”

“And William? Don’t get me started on him!” You both started laughing hysterically, clutching your stomachs, the pain of your laughter bringing tears to your eyes. 

“That woman couldn’t keep a man if he was chained to her, bless her soul.”

“Well, at least Helen has been good to her. It surprised us all when she brought her home, but it was only a matter of time that she gave up on men all together. I’m happy for her, I truly am. I don’t care what some of my family says.” You smiled, “I hope to find someone to look at me like Helen looks at Julie.”

“Awwwww, Rooose!” Lorraine held her cheeks in awe, stars in her eyes. 

“A-Anyway! So, what are you going to wear when you visit Charles?” You asked, moving to her closet, where several dresses hung that would be acceptable. 

“W-well, I was hoping to wear those red heels you brought. You promised you’d let me borrow them! I think tonight will be a good night to bring them out! I-If you don’t mind...” She grabbed a dress out of her closet that held red flowers on it. 

“Not at all, hun.” You gladly handed over the shoes. You hardly wore them anyway, you thought about gifting them to her on her birthday coming up. Hooray for saving money!

 

You also picked out a dress out of your closet, a black dress with golden fringe all around. You were excited to wear this to the dance that night. No one would even guess that half the supplies were missing, since there was still plenty of booze to go around. Ever since people stopped coming to parties all together, you figured you had been put on a boat with a bunch of introverts. The less people at the party left more drinks for you, after all. 

 

Now that your outfits were ready, it was time to figure out how to kill time until the party. You could hardly wait! You visited the back of the ship to watch the sea as the ship slunk through it. The dark blue water churned to white behind the ship, creating a trail of foam that seemed to glitter in the midday sun. You could get used to the sea, the wide expanse of blue skies and water making this place feel like the center of the universe. If you had the money, you wished you could sail with the brothers forever. Wait, what? 

 

Your eyes widened at the thought. Were you taking a liking to them? All four? Nonsense. You paused, thinking of each man individually, maybe you could figure out which one you liked the best? But the more you thought about it, the more you couldn’t figure that out. They all were so handsome and charming! Yet you had kissed only one of them… Maybe he is the one you like the best? Yet your heart fluttered thinking of the others, so you knew that wasn’t true. Maybe you’d have to kiss the other three to know? You chuckled at the thought.

 

But then again, was that such a bad idea? 

 

A wicked smile crept across your lips at the thought. But wouldn’t that just drive the men crazy? If you played around with each one? You’d have to get them all together and discuss this. You figured that they all seemed vaguely interested in you. Dark and Anti had made it obvious already. Okay, time to make a plan.

 

Step 1! Find Mark and Sean and make sure they’re interested in you. If not, that’s okay! You’ll know not to kiss him or pursue him any further in order to maintain a nice, healthy friendship that you desired. Although it would be disappointing if they weren’t interested, you still found them interesting enough to want to continue being friends. 

 

Step 2! Get the brothers together and figure out if they’re okay with you dating around the four of them and see where the relationships go from there. You didn’t want it to be a competition, or trying to narrow it down in any way. You just wanted to take things slow and see where it leads. Perhaps with time, everything will be made clear.

 

Step 3! If step 2 is successful and you receive the consent, you’ll get to know the men individually and maybe kiss them, if it all goes well. Wow, this is all so exciting! You couldn’t help but smile as you thought about getting to know them all better, since they had made such good impressions on you thus far. 

 

Well, first thing’s first. Find Mark and/or Sean. You figured you’d check the captain’s quarters, since Mark had been hanging around there a lot lately, understandably. You made your way over and lightly knocked on the door, and to your surprise, Sean opened it, greeting you warmly. He seemed happy to see you. Alright, so maybe he was interested? Or plain friendly?

“Top of the mornin’ to ya, Rose! How can I help ya?” Sean smiled.

“Sean, it’s past noon now, have you been here all night?” You asked, worried that he hadn’t slept. You then noticed the dark circles under his eyes. 

“Don’t look so worried, I’ve had a good cup of dirty bean juice to help. I’m fine!” His smile wasn’t very convincing. 

“Why don’t you let the captain take care of things, and take a nap, you look like you could use it.” 

“I’d love to take that offer, but there’s so much to do…” Sean hesitated, his blue eyes shifting in contemplation.

“How about you just take a break, just for a bit? For me?” You tried your best at puppy eyes. You were genuinely worried he’d collapse without a break of some sort. An all-nighter was torture without the help of booze. 

Your puppy eyes worked. “Oh alright, I can’t say no to that face. But just for fifteen minutes!” 

You bounced in place for joy at your victory. “Yay!”

“So, doctor, where are we going for my break?” Sean asked, offering his arm, which you took gladly. His arm felt nice to hold, so you held it close to your chest. You noticed him stutter over his words when you did. 

“I prescribe a fifteen minute nap in my room to cure your ailments.” You said matter-of-factly. You wanted him alone to ask about his feelings to avoid any embarrassment for either of you if he turned you down. 

Sean turned away so you wouldn’t notice his fluster while you led him to your chamber. You didn’t even notice his blush as you walked into the room together. Thankfully, Lorraine wasn’t there to tease you about bringing a man to your room. 

“You can go ahead and make yourself comfy. I’ll try to keep time, but no promises!” You teased. 

 

Sean thought about his next move carefully. Surely when a woman invites you to her room for a nap, it means something, right? But she seems so serious about actually taking a nap? Hell, he’s so tired he couldn’t even think of trying to seduce her in any way. If he had the energy, he would at least try charming her enough for a kiss. But alas, he didn’t have the energy. Or the courage.

“Ah, alright. You’re really insisting on me sleeping, huh? Well, I mind as well take your offer.” He sat on your bed, feeling the soft blankets. It felt so plushy compared to his bunk. Sure, he could have claimed a whole suite to himself, but it would have been lonely without his brother. They had shared a room for so long growing up that he was so used to his presence. But he moved his thoughts away from his childhood to think of the moment at hand. He thought of a devilish idea that he put to words without thinking too hard about it, “Well, I’d be a lot more comfy with my head in your lap.”

 

He looked up to see Rose blinking rapidly, shock on her face. Shit, did he offend her? Maybe she was trying to simply be a nice friend after all. Only a friend…

 

But Sean was shaken out of his negative thoughts as she climbed onto the bed. She sat up, her legs underneath her, inviting him to lay his head on her lap by gently patting her thighs. Oh, Lord, what did he get himself into? 

 

Lying on his back, Sean gently placed his head on your lap, as close to your knees as possible out of respect. He looked up at you, and the light of a nearby lantern behind your head made you look like an angel of slumber. Sleepiness crept up on him faster than he thought it would as you started idly chatting with him, unconsciously running your fingers through his hair. Pleasant tingles ran up and down his back as you did, and he found himself closing his eyes, responding to your chatter with simple, “mhmm’s” after a while. 

You noticed him getting closer and closer to falling asleep. So you decided to ask him then, since sleepy people couldn’t lie, right?

“Sean?” You asked, gently combing through his hair with your fingers. The brown locks moved through your fingers easily, and felt so soft to the touch. 

“Mmm?” He responded, too tired to move his mouth much.

“Would you date me? I’m uh, curious.” You felt nervous, so you were prepared for the ‘I think of you as a friend’ speech. 

“Oh, I’d do more than that with you, you’re pretty great,” He yawned, “I don’t want to be pushy though.”

 

You let go of a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding. You started to ask him something else, but he loudly snored in the middle of your sentence. You smiled. Poor thing had fallen asleep so quickly in your lap. You carefully picked up his head, shimmying your way off the bed. You’d come back later to wake him. You knew he deserved a break. You pressed a kiss to his cheek before you left, whispering, “Sweet dreams.” 

 

Now you wanted to find Mark. To tell him that Sean would be off the clock for a bit, as well as inquire about his feelings. He was usually all over the boat, constantly moving here and there. You asked the few passengers around the main lobby if they’d seen Mark. No luck. Oddly enough, you also didn’t see Anti or Dark around either. Wandering around aimlessly, you found yourself at the chain link fence that was usually locked, but the padlock was missing! You figured it was closed off for a reason, so you turned around. You didn’t want to piss off any of the brothers by snooping around. You had done enough of that already. 

At last, you found Mark when you asked one of the cooks if they had seen him. He was in the kitchen, no doubt asking around about the missing supplies. “Thank you for doing what you can with what we have, we’ll be docking in a day or two, so we’ll be getting more for you to work with.” He was talking to the head chef, who seemed impatient. 

“Whose idea was it to bring half the supplies we usually do?” The chef asked incredulously. 

Ah, so Mark had lied about it. Mark replied to the chef, “That doesn’t matter. What matters is that we’re going to get more.” Mark sighed, running his hand down his face. He seemed stressed. There was a strange, stressful aura surrounding the boat lately. There had been enough tension to sink the ship. 

“Hi, Mark! Are you busy?” You asked, shyly shuffling your feet. Wow, Lorraine was the one to get the jitters easily, but not you! What was it about these men that made you so flustered?

“I was just wrapping up, actually.” You were reminded why you felt so attracted to this man as you looked into his chocolate eyes. You took note of his disheveled tie, the yellow tie standing out against his navy suit. Hm, interesting color.

“Oh, good! I was wondering if… You’d take me on a tour of the ship!” You quickly thought of an excuse to walk around with him. You’d end up someplace secluded eventually, right? 

“I’m surprised my colleagues haven’t shown you around yet. Surely you’ve seen most of the ship for the few days you’ve been on it? Are you looking for an excuse to spend time with me?” Mark asked, raising a brow, a teasing smile curling on one side of his lip. Gods, his crooked smile was alluring, and you found yourself staring at his lips for a moment too long. 

“I-uh,” You stumbled over your words for a moment, your mind finally catching up with the fact that you had been caught, “and what if I am?” You crossed your arms, standing your ground. You refused to show any sort of embarrassment! 

Mark laughed, his laugh ringing out and echoing off the walls in the hallway you stood, “While I’m sure you’d love to learn about this ship, I’d love to learn more about you. So how about I show you my favorite spot on the ship and we’ll go from there?” 

 

You wished that he’d talk more so you could hear that sultry voice some more, so you were glad when he started asking you questions about yourself. You’d return some questions as well, and soon you found that you were exchanging questions like a game as you both made your way to the front of the ship. Mark explained that he loved standing at the front of the ship to watch where the ship would go. He said it made him feel like a pirate searching for a long lost treasure, which you found charming.

 

At the very front of the ship was a tall rail that one could step onto to lift themselves up and see the front of the ship where it sliced through the ocean. But you didn’t have a death wish so you didn’t climb the on the rail. Who does that?

 

Instead, you settled on leaning against it, looking out at the deep blue ocean. Mark settled beside you, your arms touching as you both stared out in comfortable silence. All you could hear were the waves as they crashed against the boat and your beating heart.

Mark cut through the silence the same time you decided to bring up the question.

“Mark-”

“Rose-”

You both looked at each other, and laughed lightly. 

“You first,” Mark insisted.

“Maybe you should go first.” You wanted to know what he was going to say, and wanted to procrastinate as much as possible.

“Alright then,” He looked back out into the water, a look of uncertainty crossed his face. “Rose, I’m usually a mess during these voyages. I’m always the one who manages the passengers, trying to make everyone happy. I never stop moving! Even when I’m trying to relax and enjoy myself, I still find myself thinking if everyone else is happy. I’ll be thinking, ‘Is this wine garbage?’, ‘Do they enjoy the music?’, ‘I hope the rooms are acceptable,’ along with a million other things.” Mark sighed, turning to you, placing his hand on top of yours. He took your fingers interlacing with his as a sign to continue. 

“But in the moments we’ve spent together, although brief, my thoughts are quieted, and I’m able to live in that moment. I want to spend more moments together, if you’ll allow it. Whether we’re friends or more.”

 

You felt his hand tighten at his last statement. Well, at least you know how he feels now. You took comfort knowing that he’d be okay with being friends. You were so glad you didn’t even have to ask! You had felt enough embarrassment that day. You looked at your hands intertwined with his, then back up to his eyes, following his crooked tie. You gently removed one hand from his, and he looked confused for a moment, still waiting for you to speak. But you wanted to take action instead of talking.

You grabbed his tie, pulling it out of his suit, and brought his lips to yours. The moment your lips made contact, he softly groaned, pulling your body to his further. For a moment his hands remained on your hips, but they slowly moved up to the back of your head, where he deepened the kiss by gently pulling your head back. As he deepened the kiss, you found yourself drowning in warmth that pooled down your body. You responded to this feeling by trying to grab something to hold onto for dear life. You found solace on the front of his jacket, your hands yearning to touch the flesh underneath. Mark broke the kiss to plant soft kisses on your neck, and you found yourself panting as his teeth gently nibbled on the soft spot under your ear. His hot breath made you shiver as he muttered something in your ear. You weren’t able to understand what he said because a voice cut through the romantic encounter like a knife, voice dripping with malice. 

“Mark. What the fuck are you doing with my girl.” Anti’s voice dripped with a familiar anger. Wait, ‘my girl’? When had you agreed to that? 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Mark asked incredulously, turning that he was shielding your body. Although it was nice that he wanted to protect you, you didn’t want to cower behind him.

“Yes, Anti, please enlighten me as to how I’m ‘your girl’ without me knowing about it.” You stepped around Mark, coming between the men. Anti seemed like he wanted to throw a punch. Like hell you’d let him. No one was going to get hurt because of your stupidity. Damn your reckless habits! You should have waited until you had talked to all four brothers before throwing yourself at one!

Anti choked on his words, unable to find the words to say. A look of disgust crossed his face when he finally did find them. Yet despite this look of loathing, you could see in his eyes that he was hurt. He finally spoke, “That’ll be the last time I look too far into a kiss. I thought you’d be different. But you’re just like the rest of ‘em on this ship.” Anti turned, storming away, leaving you speechless. All this time getting closer to him, and you just pushed him farther away that ever.

“Rose, you and Anti… You, uh…” Mark was at a loss of words as well.

You sighed, “We kissed, yes. But that’s it! Nothing more!” 

“Was this nothing more to you, either? I don’t understand what you’re trying to do with us!” Mark ran his fingers through his hair, obviously frustrated, refusing to look into your eyes.

 

He started to walk away. You stopped him, grabbing his sleeve. “Please, I’ll explain everything! My intentions, my feelings, everything! Tonight. I’ll explain tonight. I just have one favor to ask of you. We must all meet together. Dark, Sean, yourself, and even Anti. I just want to talk. Please.” Tears threatened to fall from your eyes as you begged Mark to allow you to explain everything. He could have just turned away, avoided you the rest of the voyage. He could have left you to despair on your own, refusing to gather together his colleagues who he knows deep down all have the same infatuation with you. 

Yet, he didn’t. He couldn’t. 

Instead, he placed a hand on your cheek, wiping away a tear that had escaped. He embraced you for a moment, and simply nodded. He walked you to your room in silence, except it wasn’t so comfortable this time around. You found that your room was empty as the door gently clicked shut behind you, which you were thankful for and were disappointed by. You slowly sunk to the floor feeling just as empty as the room you sat in. You wanted to cry but you never cried. You always found the strength to get back up. Instead, you wallowed in your self loathing, cursing yourself over and over. You played the whole scene in your head, from the wonderful kiss to the hurt look in Anti’s eyes, to the simple nod that Mark had given you. Gods, he couldn’t even look at you! Did he think of you as some whore who finds thrills in seducing multiple men with no love behind it at all? You pulled yourself out of those thoughts as best you could, reminding yourself that you hadn’t slept with any of the men, which ought to mean something. 

 

You got up from the floor and decided to soak in the bath and think of what you’d say to the brothers tonight in an attempt to mend the trouble you’ve caused. 

 

How does one explain to four men that you’re starting to fall for each one of them? Even though you haven't realized that you're falling at all?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ho ho ho, what's this? Angst? 
> 
> I hope ye enjoyed!


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